Why your target audience and your perfect buyer persona are not the same thing | Puck Creations

Think about your audience

How often have you heard that? If you’ve been within a whisker of somebody from Puck Creations at any point in your life, you’ve probably heard it a lot. It’s not unique to us though, it’s standard advice and there’s good reason. There’s no point in trying to speak to the whole world about your product when much of the world will never have any interest. There are a number of people who will be willing to listen to you and to take some kind of action if your product is compelling enough but who those people are depends on a number of factors.

Your perfect buyer persona

Also known as your perfect customer persona and a billion other names that we’re not going to list here but what exactly is it? In essence, it’s the type of person or business that needs exactly what you’re offering, when you’re offering it. They have a need or a challenge that your product or service is able to overcome. If only they knew! Well, before your ideal audience can know about you, you really need to understand them.

How to define your ideal customer (OK, here’s another name for it)

• Start with the problem you’re solving
• Work out who is experiencing that problem

That’s pretty much it but there’s a lot to think about with the WHO. People will tell you to think about their age, whether they’re male or female, how much money they earn etc. These things matter but we get much better results when we think about behaviours. What’s a typical day for your potential client? Where do they spend their time? What do they do when they wake up in the morning? Do they commute to work? Do they stay at home all day? Do they drive a particular type of car in a particular way? Do they talk to a lot of people? Do they eat in / out? What makes them tick? What values do they have? Not all of these questions are relevant to everyone but the point is, think about more than the obvious. What matters to your ideal client?

Who matters to your ideal client?

This is where we start to expand on your audience. We’ve all heard of influencers and in the world of social media, influencers are often seen as the golden goose of profit. “If you get in with ‘insert name here’, your product will fly”. We all know, it’s never that easy but influencers are more than Kim Kardashian, they are anyone who changes the thoughts or feelings of a potential client. That’s why it’s so important to think about whose opinion matters to your ideal client. Is it their boss, a family member, their dog? It’s possible that none of these people are your ideal client but they are still your ideal audience and they need to be taken into consideration when you’re thinking about your content.

Supply your whole audience with great content

We’ve already established that not everyone you provide content to will be a direct buyer. They may influence direct buyers but there’s yet another layer to this. Your audience is anyone whose opinion matters to your business. You may want a particular supplier to treat you favourably, a similar business to collaborate with you or industry experts to respect and recommend you. So, when people say “narrow down your audience, they’re right but remember, your audience is made up of more than your perfect buyer persona and your content needs to reflect that.

Define your audience

This is one of the most important pieces of work you will ever do in your business and if you do it well, it will make a substantial difference so take your time. Do your research, test your assumptions and never forget that there is a difference between your perfect buyer and your audience. Once you have defined both of these areas, you will be able to create content to reach your whole audience with products and services that meet the exact needs of your perfect buyer. That combination is a winner in any business.

Define your brand

Getting this right isn’t easy. Your audience, your core values, your WHY, HOW, WHAT and so much more all make a huge difference to the success of your business so it’s worth taking the time to define a clear and consistent brand. If you need help with this, TakeAction@puckcreations.com and ask us about a Defining Your Brand Workshop.

*This article was originally written and published by Puck Creations in Your target audience and perfect buyer are not the same thing.

To find out more about Puck Creations, visit puckcreations.com.